What makes the S-ICD System different from other implantable cardiac defibrillators is that it sits just under the skin without the need for thin, insulated wires, or leads, to be placed into the heart itself.

This leaves the heart and blood vessels untouched, providing many benefits for patients. Those include less scarring, less chance of infection and a quicker recovery.

Recent estimates are that approximately 850,000 people in the United States are at risk of sudden cardiac arrest and need an ICD device, but remain unprotected.